


To be Free

by Jamilton_and_Lams



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enjolras and Cosette are twins, Eventual HEA (I promise), Falling In Love, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Pining, Protests, Told through multiple POV, jail time, lots of pining, relationships, they don't know though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 22:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19028977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jamilton_and_Lams/pseuds/Jamilton_and_Lams
Summary: When Fantine gave birth to twins, Felix Tholomyes takes off with her son. He tells his son that his mother abandoned them. He has his heir and doesn't mention a word of his twin.When Jean Valjean finds Cosette at an ill kept orphanage where physical abuse is a regular thing he takes her away and immediately informs the state. He will care for this child as if she was his own. She will want for nothing.Years later Enjolras Tholomyes, only child and raised with wealth beyond imagine, has split from his father after finding an old letter tossed in a drawer. From his mother. He has a sister.He forms a group with his two closest friends to try and help everyone.Cosette lives with the only father she has ever known. She has a letter from her mother that she kept safe at the orphanage. It now hangs pinned to her wall. The only thing she has of her mother, but she has a father who loves her and she has her two best friends. She has a brother... a twin... but for now she is satisfied.Combeferre has been in love with courfeyrac since the day he met him.Grantaire is in the same boat in regards to Enjolras.Follow the students as they get into hijinks, break the law, find family and find love.





	To be Free

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest i have no idea where this is going yet. I wrote the first chapter before I even wrote the summary. I have some head-cannons so im working with them. Enjoy?  
> {Chapter titles will be who's POV it is in)

When they first met they had all been wearing handcuffs.

Well that’s not strictly true. They had attended the same school together for at least a year beforehand but the then fourteen year old Combeferre had managed to stay considerably under the radar.

When they first _had a conversation_  they had all been wearing handcuffs.

They had first met in the hallway when he had slipped on some stray flyer and went crashing into him. Blushing, stuttering and very embarrassed he muttered and apology and fled the beautiful boy, leaving Enjolras to help pick him up.

He knew who Enjolras was of course. There wasn’t a student or a teacher who didn’t. He was loud, proud and unafraid.

It was inspiring.

And of course his best friend was gorgeous.

Not that Combeferre had noticed at all. It was just a fact. Both Enjolras and his best friend Courfeyrac were beautiful.

And neither knew he existed; which was fine. He didn’t need to be the center of attention, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t admire from afar.

But the day arrived when Enjolras had been suspended, (following what would later become known as “ _the great cafeteria incident of ‘09_ ”) Combeferre had been sitting against one of the large oak trees reading a book of poems when a bout of yelling had startled him and he had dropped his book. He had been prepared to give whichever idiot it was a piece of his mind when he had seen what was taking place.

It was Courfeyrac.

It was Courfeyrac surrounded by about five other students, (who were at least seventeen he guessed) who were currently beating the shit out of him.

There was nothing he could do. He was one boy. There was five of them and one of him and Courfeyrac was on the ground and-

Courfeyrac’s eyes met his.

He ran for the closest guy and jumped on his back.

*****************************************

They ended up in the med bay but by the time Combeferre was leaving he still hadn’t seen Courfeyrac.

It was later that night after his literature club ended and he was walking home that he heard the footsteps fall in behind him.

“You got us expelled you little fucker”

He froze. What was he meant to do? What could he do? He looked around desperately only to catch a flash of blonde and see the brown curls that followed.

Five minutes later all three were in the back of a cop car.

When their hands were un-cuffed and they were sitting in silence he became aware that they were both watching him.

“Yes?

Enjolras narrowed his eyes slightly and pursed his lips. “What's your name?”

“Combeferre.” God, how had he forgotten how intimidating Enjolras was?

“You should sit with our group tomorrow. I think you’d be great addition to our cause”

His eyes widened and the pit of nerves in his stomach grew. “Your cause?”

It was was Courfeyrac who convinced him. His eyes shining bright and his grin wide. From the moment he had seen him he was a goner.

“We are going to change the world”

Combeferre grinned back and turned to Enjolras smiling too.

He swallowed his nerves took a deep breath and pushed his glasses up his nose. Then he nodded and smiled.

“Where do I sign?”

*********************************************

But that had been years ago.  Now, sitting around the table surrounded by his best friends, he couldn’t be happier.

Even if Enjolras was being a bit… much.  He leaned over and poked the fearless leader causing him to stop mid point with a hiss of pain and glare at him. “What Ferre?!”

He just waved a hand around the room. “Take a break Enj. Or wrap it up for now. We’ve been going all night. Feuilly left an hour ago to get some rest, and you didn’t even notice when Courf fell asleep! Jehan is almost there as well, Chetta and the boys left ten minutes ago and you didn’t stop long enough to say-”

“Ok, ok! I get it.” Enj flushed and looked down embarrassed.

“Sorry Enj. But you need to slow down or you’ll burn yourself out. We can’t have a repeat of-”

“I know!” Enjolras snapped. Courfeyrac woke with a start and Jehan fell off his stool.

“Enjy? What’s the matter?” Courfeyrac mumbled.

“Go back to sleep Courf - everything's grand” Combeferre ran a hand through Courf’s curls. Courfeyrac let out a weak half mumbled argument before he was snoring again.

“I am sorry Enj, but you need to take better care of yourself. You have us all worried”

Combeferre shoots a grateful smile to Bahorel and gently takes the pages from Enjolras’ hands. “Relax my friend. We still have a while till the rally.

Enjolras sinks into his chair as the clock in the square chimes midnight.

********************************************************

Marius was late again and Enjolras was spitting…. well not fire, more sparks.

He never understood the relationship between the Marius, Enjolras and Courf. He knew the three had grown up together before Marius had moved in with his grandfather and transferred to another school. Courfeyrac and him still seemed to be close but it was a 50/50 with Enjolras that Marius seemed ever oblivious to.

Then out of the corner of his eyes he sees the bright eyed, blushing young man sink into his chair and start whispering to Éponine.

“I sense Bullshit, who is it? Ah- Pontmercy” Combeferre choked as he spun to look at Enjolras. His resort died on his lips though at Courfeyracs offended gasp.

“ _Enjolras!_ ” Courfeyrac hit him on the arm. “He is our friend, you can’t just-”

“Jesus, okay. Fine” Enjolras groaned and rubbed at his temples. “Just keep him away from me until the meeting is over. And whatever you do don’t let him start on about that girl again.” He spun to face them and Combeferre tried to stifle his smile. Enjolras looked half crazy.

"Enjolras!" Courfeyrac gasped, "you haven't even met her yet, you could at least have the decency to..." He trailed of as Enjolras leveled him with a blank stare.

“Just start the meeting!” Combeferre jumped in.

****************************************

“Bahorel wanted me to give you the heads up that he’s bringing his friend to the meeting tonight”

“Hmm?” Enjolras doesn’t look up from his pile of papers scattered around his bed. He has a highlighter between his teeth and a pen holding his hair up.

Combeferre doubts he has slept in the last 24 hours.

“Enjolras!”

“What Ferre? I am very busy. I have 4 speeches to write an article to finish and about eighteen emails to reply to.” He lifted his head and Combeferre winced at the size of the bags under his eyes.

“Enj, you need to sleep. University is out for the summer.  You’ll collapse one of these days and then you’ll be no use to any of us.” he walks towards his roommate and sits down beside him. Reaching over he unhooks the pen from Enjolras’ hair and lets his curls fall loose. “Get some rest and i’ll leave you some dinner in the oven. You need to take better care of yourself.”

Enjolras leans back against his pillows and sends a small tired smile to Combeferre. “What would I need you and Courf for them?”

Combeferre collects all the pages of half edited notes and loose sheets of paper and puts them on Enjolras desk. By the time he is closing the door Enjolras is asleep.

It's only later that night as he getting into bed himself he realizes he forgot to tell Enjolras about Bahorels’ friend.

************************************************

As he steps foot inside the Musain he knows something has gone terribly wrong.

Enjolras is red in the face and pissed to hell, scowling at a new guy who is sitting with Bahorel and Jehan.

Bahorels’ friend doesn’t look fazed but from the small quirk at the side of his mouth it's quite clear to everyone (except probably Enjolras) that he is enjoying whatever argument they are having.

“Yet at the end of the day the government doesn't really give a shit about this, what will the protest achieve? Do you seriously believe that people are going to suddenly stop and try and help every homeless person they see from thereon out?”

Enjolras slammed the palms of his hands onto the table and Combeferre winced.

“But that is the point of this!” Enjolras snapped. “The people are already doing nothing - if we can open their eyes and get even 1% of them to help, to make a change…”

“And what of the other 99% Apollo? The ones who turn a blind eye and the ones who just don’t care?”

“It's a slow processes-”

Bahorels friend stood so abruptly that the bottle he had been drinking from fell from the edge of the table and smashed on the floor.

“It is a futile fight! Nothing will change! Nothing ever does.”

Combeferre decided to step in before one of them threw a punch.

“Hey! Sorry i’m late - you wouldn’t believe the amount of traffic there was!”

The tension began to defuse but Enjolras and the other guy were still staring daggers at each other.

“I don’t believe we have met?” He slid in front of Enjolras so he was facing the new comer and flashed a smile. “I'm Combeferre - call me Ferre.”

And like a switch was flicked the easy going smile was back in place. “Grantaire. R to my friends.” He held out a hand a Combeferre shook it with a grin. “Nice pun.” Grantaire laughed.

“Thanks.”

“Have you met the rest of the group yet?”

Grantaire shook his head and Combeferre just grabbed him by the arm and led him away from Enjolras, back to the back of the room. R just shot him a grin.

Yet that didn’t stop him from eyeing Enjolras up and down the whole meeting.

Looked like him and R were in the same boat. Head-over-heels from the first meeting.

In love with two oblivious idiots.


End file.
